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Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves

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Red Alder Leaves

Red Alder Leaves. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring Red Alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I made another visit to Muir Woods National Monument this weekend – probably the fourth or fifth visit in the last month and a half or so. This is obviously quite a contrast with the Death Valley photos that I’ve been posting. (There are still a few more of those to come.) When I started visiting Muir Woods this past winter, my first visit coincided with the very first buds appearing on the red alder trees. Now, some weeks later, the new growth has largely filled in, though there are still some trees that seem to be just getting started.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: red, alder, leaf, leaves, twig, branch, tree, foliage, plant, nature, spine, new, spring, season, bokeh, muir woods, national, monument, park, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, forest, morning, diffused, light, travel, scenic, landscape, stock, green

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Near Cathedral Grove, Muir Woods

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Near Cathedral Grove, Muir Woods

Near Cathedral Grove, Muir Woods. Muir Woods National Monument, California. March 8, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Redwood forest and ground cover of ferns and Oregon oxalis near Cathedral Grove, Muir Woods National Monument.

This photograph was made a bit later in the morning as I was returning to the entrance to Muir Woods, and the sun was a bit higher in the sky and, from time to time, casting light all the way down to the forest floor.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: muir, woods, national, monument, park, trail, cathedral, grove, forest, tree, redwood, ferns, oregon, oxalis, sorrel, trunk, branch, leaf, sky, trail, light, sun, needles, nature, landscape, travel, scenic, marin county, path, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Larkspur Flowers

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Larkspur Flowers

Larkspur Flowers. Quicksilver Hills, California. March 28, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Larkspur in spring bloom along a trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park, California.

These flowers were also photographed along the little section of trail running through the valley at Almaden Quicksilver Park that I mentioned in an earlier post or two. This valley holds a wonderful collection of spring wildflowers, and I visit it each year during the several weeks of late March and early April each year when the wildflower display is at its peak. There is a bend in the trail on a downhill section where the ground is shady in the morning and open to the sun in the afternoon where a small garden of these flowers is found – the entire patch contains perhaps a dozen or two plants, and the flowers come and go quite quickly.

I find this flower to be one of the most difficult to photograph – and for a series of reasons. It is not seen that widely; you will find it if you are out and about, but it certainly is not ubiquitous. Its blooms are only visible, much less attractive, for a short time somewhat early in the wildflower season – the flowers can quickly turn dry and drab looking. Sometimes a very nice flower will share a stem with others that are way past their prime. And, finally, the flower’s color is very dark – this can make it very tricky to shoot in even the best light. Its details can easily disappear into the dark tones, and its color can be overshadowed by almost any other plant that shares the frame. In this photograph I was lucky to fine a group of flowers still in pretty good shape, that had a slightly redder tint than some might, and which was illuminated by back/side light that wasn’t too harsh, and which were in front of background plants that were not in full sun. Using a long lens with its narrow depth of field also helped to diffuse the background and set the flowers off a bit.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: larkspur, Delphinium depauperatum, flower, wild, wildflower, purple, blue, green, plant, foliage, stem, bokeh, spring, season, california, usa, almaden, quicksilver, county, park, santa clara, san jose, trail, hike, hills, san francisco, bay area, nature, stock, bud, bloom, blossom

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Blue Dicks Flowers

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Blue Dicks Flowers

Blue Dicks Flowers. Quicksilver Hills, California. March 28, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Intertwining stems support two spring Blue Dicks wildflowers along a trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park, California.

The bare stems of these two spring wildflowers intertwine in the trailside sunshine at Almaden Quicksilver Park, California.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: Dichelostemma capitatum, blue dicks, flowers, stem, blossom, bloom, wild, wildflower, spring, nature, foliage, plant, lily, amaryllis, season, new, quicksilver, county, park, santa clara, san jose, california, usa, stock